Shirley Chisholm Profiles In Courage

It is after 100 years of progress and social reform that I am here today, honoring writings of a muckraker from the 1800’s. Thank you all for being here today at the 100th Anniversary celebration to commemorate the bold and rebellious Susan B. Anthony. While creating a revolution when it comes to women’s voting rights, she also made a huge movement when it came to the abolishment of slavery in the United States.

The civil rights movement of the early 1960s was one of the most significant events in the modern history of the United States, one that has elicited much examination and research by historians. An era that saw the power and influence of the movement play an integral role in the eradication of legalised segregation and the disenfranchisement of African Americans. Given the historic importance of the civil rights movement, this paper aims to examine Dr Kim Lacy Rogers ‘Oral History and the History of the Civil Rights Movement’, published in the Journal of American History in 1988. A Professor of History and American Studies at Dickinson College, much of Rogers research was centred on African American communities in the American South. She was the author of numerous oral history related books and her reputation was that of a renowned and influential expert on the subject.

From the beginning, the world was a place of inequality. However, it is possible to change. Through hard work from significant individuals, the world has fought wars and created laws that have led towards equality. The world has developed in many areas such as in gender, sexual, and racial rights. Shirley Chisholm stands as one of these individuals in history that has paved a path to equality. Her Presidential bid, delivered on January 25, 1972, is one moment cemented in history. This paper will analyze that speech by examining her pathos, logos, and ethos.

In her speech, “For the Equal Rights Amendment” Shirley Chisholm addresses her views on securing women’s equality to ensure women have better opportunities. She is an American politician, educator and author that became the first black woman elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm supports her claims about equal rights for women by using examples of statistics to prove a point. Her purpose is to persuade her audience that women in America are neglected by equal rights and excluded from things that men are not. Throughout her deliverance she expressed an inspiring and informative tone to uplift her audience so that Congress can make a change for women. The speech is highlighted as Chisholm carefully builds an affirmative case for change,

The excerpt I chose to reflect on is called “An End to the Neglect of the Problems of the Negro Woman!” by Claudia Jones (1949). Jones express the concerns that women of color in her time suffer from the neglect and degradation they receive throughout their lives. During this time, the reason many African American women go through the struggles in their community originated from the notion that the “bourgeoisie is fearful of the militancy of the Negro woman” (108). In my opinion, they have every right to be afraid of African American women. As Jones stated nicely "once Negro women undertake action, the militancy of the whole Negro people, and thus of the anti-imperialist coalition, is greatly enhanced" (108). All Jones was trying to say is that if women were given the opportunity take action to change their current situation there will be no stopping them from

The graphic memoir, March, is a biography about Congressman John Lewis’ young life in rural Alabama which provides a great insight into lives of black families in 1940s and 50s under Jim Crow and segregation laws. March opens with a violent march at the Edmund Pettus Bridge, which the gruesome acts later became known as “Bloody Sunday,” during this march, 600 peaceful civil rights protestors were attacked by the Alabama state troopers for not listening to their commands. The story then goes back and forth depicts Lewis growing up in rural Alabama and President Obama’s inauguration in 2009. This story of a civil rights pioneer, John Lewis, portrays a strong influence between geography, community, and politics. The correlation between these pillars of March is that they have to coexist with other in order for John Lewis to exist that the world knows today. Lewis talks a lot about isolation in the book which is due to his location. He

In John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the archetypal mother figure of Olive Hamilton, who is modeled after the author’s own mother, is sharply contrasted with the novel’s antagonist, the ultimate anti-mother figure of Cathy Ames. This juxtaposition of characters highlights not only Olive’s loving, selfless nature, but also Cathy’s diabolical, egocentric one.

Her work has benefited African American Women, but to also African American people in general.

The 1920s was a time of great change. From fashion to politics, this period is known as one of the most explosive decades in American history. After WWI, America became one of the world’s most formidable superpowers. The rise to power prompted the 1920s to become a decade of evolution for women’s rights, African American’s rights, and consumerism.

Maya Angelou worked as a professor at Wake Forest University, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from 1991 to 2014. As an African American women, one whose life was full of racial discrimination and gender inequality, she had plenty of experience and wisdom to share with her students. During her time working at the university, she taught a variety of humanities courses such as “World Poetry in Dramatic Performance,” “Race, Politics and Literature,” “African Culture and Impact on U.S.,” and “Race in the Southern Experience” (Wake Forest University,

Over the course of many years, African Americans have influenced communities in many ways. African Americans have been used as slaves and segregated. After overcoming these struggles, they later were granted freedoms and rights. Many African American individuals have overcome these hard times and worked hard to achieve their dreams. Misty Copeland, Patricia Bath, and Madam C.J. Walker are courageous African-American women who have overcome racial stereotypes because of their determination to pursue what they love; Misty Copeland’s determination led her to pursue dance, and Patricia Bath and Madam C.J. Walker were strong, African American entrepreneurs.

Not only did her testimony confirm her authority to speak for those affected by injustice but Fannie Lou Hamer’s general history and experience as a civil rights activist shows that she was fit to speak on the behalf of those demanding action from the government. As a civil rights activist, “Hamer dedicated her life to the fight for civil rights, working for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee” (“Fannie Lou Hamer Biography”). The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was an organization of African-Americans who fought against racial segregation in the south by engaging in civil disobedience (“Fannie Lou Hamer Biography”). Hamer was a passionate member of the SNCC who truly wanted to liberate black citizens from an unjust

The author goes on to say that, no matter what the arguments are, racial identity, just as it was in the early 1900s, has again become the topic of conversation, for example, what is “Black” in America, what is the “one-drop rule,” and what is the litmus test to be “Black” (Balkaran, 2016, p. 1)? In spite of these questions, the issue still remains, Ms. Dolezal’s dedication to promoting social justice, equality and respect for the African American culture, regardless of her color or racial identity.

Angela Davis has spent her life fighting for equality and justice. Today is she one of the most recognized leaders in the ongoing civil rights and women’s rights movements and she is an inspiration to people all over the world. She utilizes leadership styles such as Transformational Leadership which focuses on the leader being charismatic and inspiring to those she is tasked with leading. Additionally, Angela Davis is known for her Authentic Leadership, which she uses to great effect by having solid values and being able to connect on multiple levels with those she is leading.